Typhlonectes natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Typhlonectes natans, called the rubber eel or Rio Rauca caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Typhlonectidae found in Colombia, Venezuela, and possibly Trinidad and Tobago. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and rivers. T. natans is commonly kept as an aquarium pet, and is sometimes sold as a "fish" in aquarium stores. A specimen of T. natans was found in October 2019 in Miami-Dade County, Florida, making it the first caecilian to be collected in North America. Subsequently many more specimens were collected in the same area at different life stages and with evidence of breeding, suggesting the species may become established. They grow to 45 to 55 centimetres (18 to 22 in) in length. They are dark grey to black in color. While T. natans can and occasionally does breathe air at the surface, most of its respiration takes place through its skin. The species is ovoviviparous, giving birth to young in water.
Wikipedia contributors, Typhlonectes natans; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T18:54:29.669673+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Typhlonectes natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880)
- Name authority
- (Fischer in Peters, 1880)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Gymnophiona
- Family
- Typhlonectidae
- Genus
- Typhlonectes
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderGymnophiona
- familyTyphlonectidae Taylor, 1968
- genusTyphlonectes Peters, 1880
- speciesTyphlonectes natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Typhlonectes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Typhlonectes compressicauda (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) | TyphlonectidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Nectocaecilia haydee (Roze, 1963) (Roze, 1963) | synonym |
| Typhlonectes venezuelensis Fuhrmann, 1914 Fuhrmann, 1914 | synonym |
| Pseudotyphlonectes natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880) (Fischer in Peters, 1880) | synonym |
| Thyphlonectes natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880) (Fischer in Peters, 1880) | synonym |
| Thyphlonectes compressicauda venezuelense Fuhrmann, 1914 Fuhrmann, 1914 | synonym |
| Typhlonectes compressicauda natans (Fischer in Peters, 1880) (Fischer in Peters, 1880) | synonym |
| Nectocaecilia cooperi Taylor, 1970 Taylor, 1970 | synonym |
| Caecilia natans Fischer in Peters, 1880 Fischer in Peters, 1880 | synonym |
| Chthonerpeton haydee Roze, 1963 Roze, 1963 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Peters, 1880) Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:59WWK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.